On Thursday, July 25, the Society of Women in Taxation (SWIT), in collaboration with the Kaneshie TSC of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), organised a tax sensitization programme at the Kaneshie Market in the Greater Accra Region.
The sensitization, aimed at promoting tax compliance, particularly in the informal sector, is the third in the series of such, having held similar engagements in the Madina and Mallam Atta markets.
In her welcome address, the President of the Society for Women in Taxation, Esi Sam, revealed that women, who constitute approximately 80% of the informal sector, need to be educated to enhance their understanding of tax issues to ensure compliance.
“Research has shown it that women comprise 80% of the informal sector, and if these women are not taught, how would they comply? Once they are taught and they understand, they can by themselves file and pay taxes,” she said.
Area Director of the Accra West Area Office of the GRA, Anna Marian Atuah, urged the market women to dispel fears associated with tax payments and with GRA officials, adding that this was the primary reason for the sensitization programme—to demistify tax payments.
“July and August are our tax education months. We just want the Kaneshie Market women to understand that tax issues are not that complex and that if they have any challenges, we are here to address them.”
She said that although some traders have some fair knowledge about taxes, they are reluctant to pay, citing their confusion about the amounts on which to pay tax.
She advised that no matter how much they earned, they still ought to pay taxes.
“We advised them that they pay tax based on how much they generate as income. We also advised them that they only pay tax on some processed items, not all the items.”
“To prevent all these borrowings we complain of, let us all dutifully pay our taxes no matter how little,” Anna Marian said.
According to her, GRA as an institution becomes worried when they hear complaints from taxpayers that they are not seeing what their taxes are doing.
She, however, urged them to continue paying taxes, as development is a process.
For her additional remarks, Esi Sam reported improved compliance by market women since SWIT and GRA began their market outreaches in November 2023.
“For those who didn’t understand and were reluctant, they are now responding positively, and they do not ask questions as to the relevance of taxes.”
“They have also understood the different types of taxes and differentiated market rates being collected by the AMA and income tax they have to file with the GRA,” Esi Sam revealed.
As part of the corporate social responsibility of the organisers, the programme began with a medical screening of the market women and other members of the public.
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